Alexa Tarantino (born May 30, 1992, in

West Hartford West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer and educator.

Early life and education

Tarantino obtained a bachelor's degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education along with a Certificate in Arts Leadership from the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

in Rochester, New York. She received her master's degree in Jazz Studies from

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

Musical career

She has played with

Sherrie Maricle Sharon Lee "Sherrie" Maricle (born September 2, 1963, Buffalo, New York) is an American jazz drummer. Maricle's musical education began in the fourth grade when she started with the clarinet after being told that the trumpet was off-limits to gi ...

and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra,

Darcy James Argue Darcy James Argue is a jazz composer and bandleader known for his work with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Biography Argue was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He studied at McGill University in Montreal from 1993–1998, and in 2000 ...

's Secret Society,

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awar ...

, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and

Cécile McLorin Salvant Cécile McLorin Salvant (born August 28, 1989) Kaplan, Fred"Cécile McLorin Salvant's Timeless Jazz" ''The New Yorker'', May 22, 2017. is an American jazz vocalist. She was the winner of the first prize in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz ...

. Tarantino's most recent album, ''Firefly'', was released on

Posi-Tone Records Posi-Tone Records is an American jazz record label founded by Marc Free, a producer and musician who runs the company with engineer Nick O'Toole. The label's first five albums were issued in 1995. The roster includes trombonist Steve Davis, saxo ...

in 2021 and reached No. 7 on the Jazz Week Charts. Her second album as leader, ''Clarity'', was also released by Posi-Tone. On it, she plays alto and soprano saxophones, flute, and alto flute. Tarantino's debut album as leader, ''Winds of Change'', was released by

in 2019, and reached No. 15 on the

JazzWeek ''JazzWeek,'' is a jazz magazine that was co-founded by Ed Trefzger in August 2001. ''Jazzweek'' publishes industry news and a weekly top 100 ranking of music played by jazz radio stations. Collection Method Originally, the company gathered its o ...

charts and No. 79 on the 2019

Top 100. The personnel on this album included Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums), Christian Sands (piano), Joe Martin (bass), and Nick Finzer (trombone). Tarantino was nominated as a "Rising Star- Alto Saxophone" by

Downbeat Magazine ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Ch ...

's Critics' Poll in 2021 and 2020 and ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of grow ...

'' Critics' Poll named her one of the "Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019". She has also worked extensively with pianist

Steven Feifke Steven Feifke (born June 21, 1991) is an American jazz pianist, composer, orchestrator, and arranger. Early life and education Feifke was born in Lexington, Massachusetts. He attended Lexington High School and the New England Conservatory of ...

. In 2021, Tarantino was a recipient of the Jazz Coalition Fund.

Endorsements

Tarantino is endorsed by Vandoren, BAM Cases, and

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sidewoman

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarantino, Alexa Eastman School of Music alumni Women jazz saxophonists Posi-Tone Records artists 21st-century saxophonists 1992 births Living people Jazz musicians from Connecticut People from West Hartford, Connecticut